which every one felt
gratified. After speaking for a few moments to Mr. Terry and Allan
Cunningham, he returned to where I stood fixed and 'mute as the monument
on Fish Street Hill;' but I soon recovered the use of my tongue from the
easy manner in which he addressed me, and no longer seemed to feel myself
in the presence of some mighty and mysterious personage. He spoke
slowly, with a Scotch accent, and in rather a low tone of voice, so much
so, indeed, that I found it difficult to catch every word. He mentioned
my 'Fairy Legends,' and hoped he should soon have the very great
enjoyment of reading the second volume. 'You are our--I speak of the
Celtic nations' (said Sir Walter)--'great authority now on fairy
superstition, and have made Fairy Land your kingdom; most sincerely do I
hope it may prove a golden inheritance to you. To me,' (continued Sir
Walter) 'it is the land of promise of much future entertainment. I have
been reading the German translation of your tales and the Grimms' very
elaborate introduction.' Mr. Terry mentioned having received from me
Daniel O'Rourke in the shape of a Christmas pantomime. 'It is an
admirable subject,' said Sir Walter, 'and if Mr. Croker has only
dramatized it with half the skill of tricking up old wives' tales which
he has shown himself to possess, it must be, and I prophesy, although I
have not seen it, it will be as great a golden egg in your nest, Terry,
as Mother Goose was to one of the greater theatres some years ago.' He
then repeated by heart part of the conversation between Dan and the
Eagle, with great zest. I must confess it was most sweet from such a
man. But really I blush, or ought to blush, at writing all this
flattery." Here the origin of Maclise's illustrations to the legends is
thus given by the editor of the 'Gentleman's Magazine.' "The artist, who
had not then quitted his native city of Cork, was a frequent visitor to
Mr. Sainthill (the author of 'Olla Podrida'), at the time that the first
edition of the work appeared. Mr. Sainthill read the tales aloud from
time to time in the evening, and Maclise would frequently, on the next
morning, produce a drawing of what he had heard. These were not seen by
Mr. Croker until his next visit to Cork: but when he did see them he was
so much pleased with them that he prevailed upon Mr. Sainthill to allow
them to be copied for his forthcoming edition: and this was done by
Maclise, and the drawings were engraved by